Indonesian Win Gold At Int'l Karate Championship

Jakarta, Oct 23 (Antara) - A group of students representing Indonesia won five gold, three silver, and five bronze medals at the 4th Basel Open Masters 2013 international karate championship held on October 19 and October 20 in Basel, Switzerland. The group, comprising 13 students, arrived home on Wednesday. The students were welcomed by the Head of the Sub-directorate of Institutions and Students of the Directorate General of Primary Education of the Education Ministry, Supriyono. The students who were sent for the international event had won gold earlier at the National Student Sports Olympics, Supriyono stated. Before leaving for Switzerland, they underwent intensive training with coaches from the Indonesia Karate-Do Federation, he added. "This was the first time we participated in the championship and we won champion titles," he said. Ni Putu Risma Yanti, a student who won gold and silver medals at the Basel championship, said she was proud of her triumph at a global event. "This is my first win on an international level," she noted. She said she had trained every day before going to the championship. The Basel Open Masters is an annual championship held in Switzerland. It is organized by the World Karate Federation. At the championship concluded recently, children - under 12 to above 17 years of age - competed under 54 categories. A total of 29 countries took part in the championship this year. Indonesia fielded 13 athletes comprising junior and senior high school students.